Computer Assembly with cam member for locking components

ABSTRACT

A computer includes a base unit and an upper unit which encloses all electronic components of the computer, such as an LCD display, system board, various drives, sound card, speakers, and modem. The base unit has dimensions of only about 11 inches by 7 inches and can easily be placed in small areas. Unlike a typical desk-top computer which has external cords or cables connecting the display to a main casing, the computer only requires a single power cable and a telephone cord and has a light weight which permits the computer to be easily transported to different locations. The upper unit can pivot relative to the base unit by simply pulling or pushing the upper unit with one hand to the desired angle and then releasing the upper unit. The base unit frictionally engages the upper unit to maintain the upper unit at the desired angle. The computer has a unique configuration in which input/output connectors of a typical motherboard are placed on a separate riser board positioned perpendicular to the system board. The system board in the computer, consequently, is substantially reduced in size thereby allowing a reduction in the computer&#39;s overall size. A CD ROM drive and a floppy drive are installed on opposite sides of the computer and are biased flush against the housing of the computer through a cam assembly. The housing is formed of steel which protects the computer from damage and which also provides EMI shielding both inside and outside of the computer.

This application is a divisional application of U.S. Ser. No.08/723,262, filed on Sep. 30, 1996 pending.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to personal computers which are manufactured inmodular fashion, which are adapted to accommodate new or updatedcomponents, which may be efficiently serviced and manufactured, whichprovide maximum functionality to the user for minimum cost, and whichare particularly adapted for graphical inter-connectivity such as on theWorld Wide Web.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Personal computers are rapidly becoming common household items and mayeventually join the ranks of the television in prevalence. Recently, theadvent of graphics on the Internet, via the World Wide Web, haspopularized home computer use despite the relatively high cost ofmachines equipped to accommodate the large files, programs andpresentation managers required for World Wide Web navigation and use.Falling prices and advances in technology have aided this trend, to besure, but the relatively high price of an Internet class machine remainsa dominant factor affecting home computer use. Although many middle toupper class households have computers, many middle and lower classhouseholds simply do not enjoy sufficient disposable income for aconventional Internet compatible computer. Other potential users diverttheir disposable income to other consumer electronics that usually sellin the $1000 range, such as video cameras, direct broadcast satellitestations, video disc equipment and similar items. Computers would be farmore ubiquitous if they, too, could sell in this range, yet providetotal access to the Internet and give the user complete Webfunctionality and compatibility.

The advances in technology in the computer industry have, in part,reduced the cost of computer components. Thus, the same computer whichmay not have been affordable several years ago may now be within theprice range of certain households. Nevertheless, given Moore's law andsimilar trends, computers rapidly self-obsolesce as machines withfaster, more advanced processors, larger memory and more recent softwareversions (which continually tax hardware requirements) enter the market.Therefore, even with the drop in prices due to advances in technology, aneed exists for a computer which is not only more affordable but whichis at, or at least close to, the state-of-the art in technology andwhich can be easily upgraded with market share devices and components.

In general, personal computers can be classified as either desk-topcomputers or notebook computers. The desk-top computer traditionallycomprises a relatively large rectangular central processing unit (CPU)housing (hereinafter, for convenience, sometimes referred to simply asthe "CPU") within which the motherboard, various drives, input/outputdevices and other components of the computer are housed. Typically, theCPU is placed on the surface of the desk, on another piece of furniture,or on the floor and a computer monitor is placed on top of the CPU or onthe work surface. The desk-top computer additionally features a keyboardplaced in front of the CPU, a mouse located at the front or side of theCPU, and often has a printer located on the desk or on another proximatepiece of furniture.

The conventional desk-top computer is, however, relatively heavy andbulky, and has a large footprint. Many home desk-top work surfaces arespatially overwhelmed with a CPU, keyboard, mouse, and printer.Consequently, one or more of the components must be placed on the flooror on another piece of furniture. Yet the desk-top machine does offersuperior graphics, a comfortable keyboard (as opposed to conventionalnotebooks) and a feel of permanence because it remains plugged into atelephone jack. Logging on the Internet from a home workstation of thissort requires far less effort than from a notebook in which the modemcard must be plugged in and the user must contend with a compromisedkeyboard and a machine which tends to migrate around on the worksurface, even it is does feature an independent mouse instead of theaesthetically and functionally inferior typical cursor or trackingdevice.

Desk-top computers are, however, difficult to move from one location toanother. The desk-top computer has various external cables, includingone for carrying signals from the CPU to the monitor, another forsignals from the mouse to the CPU, a further for the signals from thekeyboard to the CPU, as well as power cords for both the monitor and theCPU. Once these cords and cables have been connected to their respectivecomponents, the computer user is often reluctant to move the computer toa new location. In addition to the complexity of routing the cables andcords, the desk-top computer is also cumbersome to move due to its largesize, multiple components, and considerable weight.

The second general class of personal computer, the notebook computer,overcomes many of the problems of the desk-top computer. The notebookcomputer is typically compact, lightweight, and portable so that it canbe easily moved from one location to another location without having toreconnect a multitude of cables and cords. These advantages of thenotebook computer versus the desk-top compute can unfortunately beobtained only with a great increase in cost and sacrifice in ease ofservice and ability to upgrade components. For instance, although boththe notebook and desk-top computer may be equipped with comparablecomponents, such as RAM, mouse, monitor, motherboard, hard drive, floppydrive, and CD ROM drive, the components designed for use in a notebookare considerably more expensive since they must be reduced in size inorder to fit within the tight size constraints within the notebook. Theyalso typically draw less power and enjoy less market share thancomparable desktop components. The notebook computer also featuresunique costs such as those for a special battery and, because the casingis plastic, requires additional measures at an added cost in order toaddress electromagnetic interference (EMI) both inside and outside thenotebook computer. The notebook computer, therefore, is often viewed asa luxury item and not as a computer for the average household.

In addition to its high price tag, the notebook computer has otherdisadvantages. For instance, the casing of the notebook is formed of aplastic material that often cracks or becomes marred after frequent use.Any cracks or marring of the notebook casing can not only detract fromthe appearance of the computer and pose a risk to the components insidebut can also be disconcerting to an owner who just spent top-dollar forthe convenience of the notebook computer and expects a high quality itemin return.

A computer recently introduced into the market combines desk-top andnotebook features and shares some of the advantages and disadvantages ofboth. This new computer, which is exemplified by the 3000 series CompaqPresario brand computer, has an LCD display mounted directly to acomputer casing, thereby eliminating the cords and cables between thecasing and monitor. The LCD display and casing unit are supportedtogether on a single base which can be placed onto a desk surface. Whilethe combination of the casing and LCD display would be smaller and wouldweigh less than the typical desk-top computer having its casing and aCRT monitor, the combination of the casing and LCD display stillconsumes a fairly large amount of space on a desk, is still rather largeand heavy, and is typically more expensive than a comparably equippeddesk-top computer. A further disadvantage with this type of computer isthat the placement of the unit is fairly fixed. The casing is unable topivot relative to the base and the LCD display only provides a fairlylimited range of motion relative to the casing. A user may thereforefind it difficult to adjust the display to his or her own optimalviewing angle.

Another problem facing all computers in general is that consumerconfidence in previously owned computers is fairly low and, as a result,the market for previously owned computers is both small and ratherunsophisticated. Even though computers are typically highly reliable andhave a long product life, consumers have no objective way to gauge thedegree to which a computer has been used and thus are generallyreluctant to purchase used computers. With more objective evidence onthe actual usage of computers, consumers might be more willing topurchase a used computer whereby a greater number of consumers would beable to enjoy the benefits of a computer.

A further difficulty with computers is that the design of any computeris based on estimates of actual usage and failure rates of the variouscomponents and elements forming the computer 10. The data on failuresfor the various components and elements is only available today throughsimulated life-testing performed in a test environment which does notreflect actual usage. As a result, the design of the computer may haveaspects which are over-designed to have a greater than necessaryreliability, and hence greater cost, or to have a lesser than necessaryreliability, and hence a larger than necessary failure rate.

As yet, a need exists for a computer which: (1) is relativelyinexpensive, in the class of other consumer electronics; (2) isattractive, features a high quality display for World Wide Web operationand a comfortable keyboard and authentic mouse; (3) has the feel ofpermanence associated with desk top units but as of yet lacking innotebook units; (4) is easily serviced and supplied with new or upgradedcomponents; (5) uses market share memory units, disk drives, hard drivesand other desk-top type components rather than the more specialized,higher cost notebook components; (6) features a display which, eventhough integral to the CPU and positioned on a desk-top, may be orientedby the user left, right, up and down just as flexibly and easily as anotebook screen, (7) can enable one to objectively gauge the actualamount of usage; and (8) can enable one to determine the actual time offailure for a computer and to design the computer based on actual useconditions and failure rates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Computers according to the present invention feature an upper unit and abase unit in which the upper unit houses not only the screen, but alsothe system board, drives, memory, input/output devices and otherCPU-centric components and the base unit pivotally supports the upperunit. The base unit has at least one pivot which is attached to theupper unit and which defines a substantially horizontal pivot axis forthe upper unit (in addition to the inherently vertical axis or axeswhich are a function of the base unit's placement on the workspace). Inone version, a pair of substantially conical shaped plugs may beinserted at opposite ends of the base unit within a bore in the pivot. Apair of members are inserted at opposite ends of the base unit betweenthe plugs and the pivots. By driving the plugs toward the ends of thebase unit, the pair of members become compressed between the pivot andthe plugs and provide a frictional force to the upper unit. Thisfrictional force is ideally sufficiently small that a user may easilymove the base unit to a desired viewing angle but large enough tomaintain the base unit at the desired viewing angle once adjusted. Thebase unit preferably includes a stand for limiting a range of motion forthe base unit and for providing additional support for the computer.

The invention, according to another aspect, relates to a computer thatis uniquely configured within a housing on a plurality of separatesupport frames. In one embodiment, for instance, the computer has frontand rear support frames and has a flat panel display mounted to ananterior side of the front frame. A system board, having components suchas, for instance, a microprocessor, RAM, and a first connector, ismounted to the posterior side of the front frame and is interconnectedto the flat panel display with conventional connectors such as cable.Storage devices and other components may be additionally mounted to theposterior of the front frame. The rear frame, on the other hand, maysupport other components such as, for instance, a disk drive, a powersupply, and an input/output board. With this configuration of a computersupported on a plurality of frames, the computer components can coexistwithin a minimal amount of space, and they can be easily assembled,accessed, serviced, replaced with new components, or upgraded.

According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a cam assemblyaccess device for use in a computer. The cam assembly includes a camrotatably secured between a support frame and a lower housing.Components, such as a CD ROM drive and a floppy disk drive, are affixedto members which are then secured to the support frame by positioningclasping portions of the members within corresponding apertures in thesupport frame. The members are formed with followers which track cammingsurfaces in or on the cam when the members are secured to the supportframe. When the clasping members are inserted completely into theapertures in the support frame, the components are disposed slightlyfrom the housing of the computer, thereby permitting the placement ofthe housing over the components. By rotating the cam, the campassageways force the followers on the members outwardly toward thehousing, thereby closing any gaps between the housing and thecomponents. With the cam assembly, the housing can be lowered past thecomponents without damaging the face of the components and then the camcan be rotated to close the gaps between the components and the housing.

In yet a further aspect, the invention relates to a mounting assemblyfor placing a flat panel display in close proximity to a housing. Theassembly includes the housing which has an aperture generally alignedwith the flat panel display and a support frame mounted within thehousing. A plurality of fasteners mounts the flat panel display to thesupport frame and a plurality of spring members, secured between theflat panel display and the support frame, bias the flat panel displaytoward the aperture in the housing. The fasteners are selected to have alength which prevents the flat panel display from contacting thehousing. The spring members absorb pressures exerted on the flat paneldisplay, thereby protecting the flat panel display from being damaged.

According to another facet of the invention, software, such as BIOS,implements a timer which tracks the total time the computer has been inuse. When returned to the manufacturer on trade-in or for other reason,resale can be facilitated because potential users can be made aware ofwhether, for instance, the machine has been only used less than an hourand is thus practically new, or has been used for a significantly longerperiod and is therefore properly the subject of a reduced price. Thesoftware for tracking the life of the computer also provides a means toaccurately track and resolve field failures. This results in acompetitive advantage by allowing the computer design to be changedbased on actual use conditions and allows a means to both increase thefield reliability and to reduce costs in areas which are over-designed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide arelatively inexpensive computer to compete with other electronics of itsclass.

It is another object of the invention to provide an attractive,inexpensive, modular, World Wide Web compatible computer having a highquality display, keyboard, and mouse.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact computerthat has the feel of permanence associated with desk-top computers, butfeatures a smaller footprint and cost.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a modular computerthat is easily serviced and supplied with new or upgraded components.

It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a computerthat has a low weight yet uses market share memory units, drives, andother components rather than higher cost notebook components.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a computer thathas a display that can be easily oriented to a user's optimal viewingangle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a computer thatprovides users or potential buyers with the capability of objectivelygauging the extent to which the computer has been used.

Other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent withreference to the remainder of this document.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part ofthe specification, illustrate an embodiment of the present inventionand, together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 2B are front and rear perspective views, respectively, of acomputer according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a base unit of the computer of FIGS.1A and 1B,

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the base unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the base unit of FIG.2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a stand in the base unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an upper unit of thecomponents of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are a top view and a side cross-sectional view,respectively, of a preferred embodiment of a cam assembly according tothe present invention;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are top and side views, respectively, of a preferredembodiment of a mounting member according to the present invention whichcooperates with the cam assembly of FIGS. 7A and 7B;

FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are schematic perspective views of successivestages of the process of assembling drives in the upper unit using thecam assembly of FIGS. 7A and 7B and mounting members of FIGS. 8A and 8B;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are a top view and a side cross-sectional view,respectively, of a cam assembly according to a second embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment ofa mounting assembly for an LCD display according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of a timer according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,including preferred embodiments of the invention, non-limiting examplesof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. With reference toFIG. 1, a computer 10 according to a preferred embodiment of theinvention comprises an upper unit 12 pivotally mounted on a base unit14. In general, the upper unit 12 preferably, although not necessarily,integrates all of the components of a typical computer into a singleenclosure while the base unit 14 provides a pivotal support for theupper unit 12.

More specifically, the upper unit 12 as shown in FIG. 6 is comprised ofan upper housing 16A and a lower housing 16B which are preferably formedof powder coated deep draw carbon steel. By forming the housing 16A and16B of steel, the housing 16A and 16B, and thus the entire computer 10,is rather sturdy and provides a high degree of protection to thecomponents within the upper unit 12. While the housing 16A and 16B maybe formed of plastic or any other suitable material, the use of steelhas advantages over plastic since the housing 16A and 16B can be morequickly and accurately stamped into the desired shape and can beproduced at a lower cost. A steel housing 16A and 16B, as is describedin more detail below, also provides a functional advantage over plasticin that it shields electromagnetic radiation.

The upper unit 12 may feature speakers (not shown) aligned withapertures 13, C liquid crystal display (LCD) display 15, a microphone(not shown) aligned with apertures 17, a stand-by switch 18, a volumeswitch 19, and a contrast switch 20. The LCD display 15 preferablycomprises a Double-layer Super Twist Neumatic display but mayalternatively comprise any suitable type of flat panel display. Thestand-by button 18 places the computer 10 in a stand-by or sleep-stateand the volume switch 19 and contrast switch 20 provide hardware controlover the volume of sound emanating from the speakers and the contrast ofthe display 15, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a 3.5 inch floppy drive 22, a modem port 23, and anexpansion slot 24 may all be located on the right side of the upper unit12. Optical or other drives, other mass memory, other input/output orother components may also easily be included as desired. The modem, iffor Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), preferably has a baud rateof at least 33.6 Kbits/second but may instead operate at lower speeds.Cable modems, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Network (ISDN)modems, Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) modems, or any othersynchronous or asynchronous communications device of any desired costand bandwidth may be accommodated by the unit 12 at time of assembly oras the unit 12 is upgraded from time to time in the future. Theexpansion slot 24 allows the computer 10 to be updated to includeadditional components, such as network cards or other devices. As shownin FIG. 1B, a CD ROM drive 36 is located on the left side of the upperunit 12.

The rear of the upper unit 12, as shown in FIG. 1B, has a plurality ofinput/output ports 27, a drive lock port 29, ventilating apertures 31and 32 in the lower housing 16B, and a lock-down member 33. Theinput/output ports 27 include suitable a mouse jack 27A, a keyboard jack27B, a serial port 27C, a parallel port 27D, a joystick jack 27E, amicrophone-in port 27F, an audio-out port 27G, an audio-in port 27H, anda VGA jack 271 Other ports may be included and supplied in the futurevia system board upgrades, component changes or upgrades, or asotherwise desired. The rear of the computer 10 may also have a resetbutton 34. A female outlet 28 aligned with an internal power supply isprovided on the rear of the computer 10 for mating with a power cord.The apertures 31 provide an entry or exit path for ambient air whileapertures 32 are aligned with a cooling fan and allow heated air to exitthe computer 10. A drive lock port 29 provides access to a cam which, aswill be described in more detail below, is used to install componentssuch as, for instance, 3.5 inch floppy drive 22 and CD ROM drive 36. Alock-down member 33 can receive a cable for locking the computer 10 to apermanent fixture, such as a desk.

As should be apparent from FIGS. 1A and 1B, the upper unit 12 could, ifdesired (but need not) house all of the components of a conventionaldesk-top or lap-top computer. These elements include the display 15, the3.5 inch floppy drive 22, and the CD ROM drive 36, as well as additionalcomponents which will be described in more detail below, such as amodem, system board, hard drive, RAM, video RAM, sound card, speakers,and an input/output board. All of these components, however, areprovided within a compact volume defined between the upper and lowerhousings 16A and 16B. For instance, the overall size of the upper unit12 of FIGS. 1A and 1B is only slightly over 11 inches tall, 15 incheswide, and 3.5 inches in depth, which is significantly smaller than aconventional CPU portion of a desk-top or tower computer.

The base unit 14, shown in more detail in FIG. 2, comprises a stand 41,endcaps 43, and pivots 45. The pivots 45 are mounted to a bottom surfaceof the upper unit 12 and are secured to the endcaps 43. With referenceto FIG. 3, the endcaps 43 have a plurality of circumferentially arrangedprojections 48 extending from an inner surface of the endcaps 43. A plug49 with a generally conical shape and spaced ribs 55 has a threadedinsert 51 for mating with threads on a bolt 46. Preferably, the endcaps43 and plugs 49 are comprised of ABS polycarbonite, the pivots 45 arecomprised of polypropylene, and the stand 41 is comprised of powdercoated carbon steel. The base unit 14, however, may be formed from othermaterials, such as with nylon pivots 45.

To assemble the base unit 14, the pivots 45 are preferably mounted tothe underside of the upper unit 12 with bolts or machine screws. Theplugs 49 are inserted between the projecting members 48 with the ribs 55of the plugs 49 positioned in the spaces between adjacent projectingmembers 48. The ribs 55 advantageously maintain the position of theplugs 49 relative to the members 48 and prevent the plugs 49 fromrotating upon movement of the pivots 45. The bolts 46 are passed throughapertures 44 in each of the endcaps 43 and are partially threadedthrough the plugs 49. The bolts 46 are preferably formed with anon-threaded portion 47 which renders the removal of the bolts 46difficult once the bolts 46 have been threaded past this portion 47. Thebolts 46 are subsequently rotated, thereby driving the plugs 49 towardthe endcaps 43 and, due to the conical shape of the plugs 49, forcingthe projecting members 48 into frictional engagement with the pivot 45.Thus, by rotating the bolts 46, the endcaps 43 become frictional engagedwith the pivots 45.

The stand 41 has a first surface 52 and a second surface 53 for limitingthe extent to which the upper unit 12 can pivot relative to the baseunit 14. In the preferred embodiment, the first surface 52 is formed atan angle of approximately sixty five degrees and the second surface 53is formed at an angle of approximately ninety degrees whereby the upperunit 12 has a maximum pivot range of about twenty five degrees. Thisrange is preferably reduced to about fifteen degrees by forming thepivots 45 so that they come in contact with the surface 52 at an angleof about seventy five degrees. The upper unit 12 is limited to thispreferred range of motion to ensure that the computer 10 does not easilytip over but rather remains highly stable on a surface. It should beunderstood, however, that the computer can be manufactured to have adifferent range of motion, such as by forming the surfaces 52 and 53 atother angles or by forming ribbed surfaces on the pivots 45 to limit therange of motion. Also, while the stand 41 provides a large surface forsupporting the upper unit 12 and for limiting the motion of the upperunit 12, the base unit 14 could alternatively be designed so that theendcaps 43, either in their present design or in a modified design,alone support the entire weight of computer 10 and also limit the motionof the upper unit 12. Further, while the base unit 14 has a pair ofpivots 45, the base unit 14 could possibly be formed with just a singlepivot.

In addition to limiting the range of motion for the upper unit 12, thebase unit 14 also maintains the position of the upper unit 12 once ithas been adjusted to a desired angle. Because the projecting members 48are compressed between the plugs 49 and the pivots 45, the base unit 14can provide a frictional force resisting any movement of the upper unit12. This frictional force should be small enough so that a user caneasily adjust the position of the upper unit 12 yet be great enough sothat the upper unit 12 remains at the desired position.

A static frictional force, in general, is a vector function of μF_(force), where μ is the coefficient of friction between two materialsand F_(force) is the magnitude of normal force generated by one of thetwo materials against the surface of the other material. In the baseunit 14, μ represents the coefficient of friction between the pivot 45and the projecting members 48 and F_(force) is the magnitude of thenormal force generated by the projecting members 48 against the pivots45. The precise magnitude of the force F_(force) between the projectingmembers 48 and pivots 45 can be independently controlled based on theextent to which the plugs 49 are withdrawn into the endcaps 43 which, inturn, may be accurately controlled by an application of a certain amountof torque to the bolts 46. An optimal amount of static frictional forceassociated with retaining a pivot position of the upper unit 12 relativeto the base unit 14 can therefore be determined experimentally and, oncedetermined, can be accurately and repeatedly applied to other base units14 in mass production of the computer 10. Similarly, angles, dimensions,surface areas and forces may be adjusted conveniently in order to rendera suitable kinetic frictional opposition to movement of the upper unit,so as to allow it to be easily repositioned, but not feel flimsy.

The stand 14, in contrast to a typical desk-top computer, is relativelysmall and consequently consumes a minimal amount of space on a desk. Forinstance, in the preferred embodiment, the base unit 14 has a foot printof only about 11 inches by 7 inches, which is about one-fourth thesurface area of a conventional desk-top computer. As a result, thecomputer 10 can be more easily placed onto a surface, such as desk,along with a keyboard, mouse, and printer.

The base unit 14 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention,also allows the upper unit 12 to be easily adjusted to a desired viewingangle. A user need not worry about picking the computer 10 up in orderto adjust the viewing angle nor worry about any complicated releaselatch but instead may simply place one hand on the upper unit 12 andeither pull or push the unit 12 to the desired viewing angle.Additionally, once the upper unit 12 has been adjusted to the desiredviewing angle, the base unit 14 automatically maintains the upper unit12 at this desired angle by generating a suitable amount of frictionalforce at the pivots 45.

An exploded view of the upper unit 12 is shown in FIG. 6. The upper unit12 includes a rear or posterior support frame 66 and a front or anteriorsupport frame 68 upon which virtually all of the electronic componentsof the computer 10 are mounted. The rear support frame 66 is mounted tothe lower housing 16B and a drive lock cam 64 is placed between the rearsupport frame 66 and the lower housing 16B. The drive lock cam 64 ispositioned over the cam port 29 in the housing 16B, is centered withinan aperture 71 in the rear support frame 66, and is freely rotatable.The CD ROM drive 36 and the 3.5 inch floppy drive 22 are mounted tomoveable drive or plate members 73 and 74, respectively, which are thensecured to the lower housing 16B. A riser board 76 holding the variousinput/output ports 27 is mounted to a plate 77 which is affixed to therear support frame 66. The plate 77 and the rear support frame 66 bothhave oval-shaped apertures 78 and 79, respectively, so that theinput/output ports 27 may be accessed from the rear of the computer 10.The riser board 76 also has a connector 81 for an auxiliary device, suchas a network card or any ISA device, and a connector 82, which ispreferably formed with gold fingers, for mating with a connector 93 on asystem board 85. A power supply 98 is mounted in a recessed portion 96of the rear support frame 66 and a power supply 102 is mounted withinaperture 99 of the rear support frame 66.

The front support frame 68 secures all of the other electroniccomponents in the computer 10. The system board 85, which contains amicroprocessor, RAM, and ROM, is secured to the underside of the supportframe 68. In the preferred embodiment, the system board 85 comprises atleast a 586 microprocessor operating at 75 MHz, 16 Megabytes of RAM, 1/2megabyte of video RAM, 256 kilobytes of cache memory, 16 bit sound, anda 33.6 Kbits/second modem. The system board 85 has the connector 93 formating with the gold fingers 82 on the riser board 76. A hard drive 87is also mounted to the underside of the front support frame 68 andpreferably has 1.2 Gigabytes of storage capacity. The LCD display 15, onthe other hand, is mounted to an anterior surface of the front supportframe 68. Additionally, a set of speakers 91, only one of which isshown, an inverter board 89, and a circuit board 94 for mounting tactileswitches for the stand-by switch 18, volume switch 19, and contrastswitch 20 which are plastic actuators, are mounted to the anteriorsurface of the front support frame 68.

At a next step of assembly, the front support frame 68 is secured to therear support frame 66. As shown in FIG. 6, the rear support frame 66 hasa plurality of perpendicularly extending support members 83 upon whichthe front support frame 68 is affixed. Initially, the front supportframe 68 may rest upon the support members 83 at the lower end of theupper unit 12 while cables are appropriately routed and interconnectedbetween the various components in the computer 10. The front supportframe 68 may then be lowered onto the other support members 83 and, atthe same time, join connector 93 on the system board 85 with the goldfingers 82 on the riser board 76. With this connection, themicrocomputer on the system board 85 becomes joined with the variousconnectors 27 on the riser board 76. Once the front support frame 68 hasbeen coupled to the rear support frame 66, the upper housing 16A may beaffixed to the lower housing 16B.

To simplify the description of the invention, FIG. 6 does not illustrateall components or elements within the computer 10 but rather is apartial view of the major components within the upper unit 12. While notshown, it should be understood that the upper unit 12 also includesnumerous cables, such as data cables for interconnecting the systemboard 85 to each of the drives 22, 36, and 87, an audio cable forinterconnecting the system board 85 to the CD ROM drive 36, as well astie-down elements for securing the cables at desired positions withinthe upper unit 12. The computer 10 further includes conductorsconnecting the female plug 28 to the power supply 98, power cablesrunning from the power supply 98 to each of the floppy drive 22, the CDROM drive 36, and the system board 85, and a power cable running fromthe riser board 76 to a cooling fan 102.

One difficulty in installing the floppy drive 22 and the CD ROM drive 36is in the placement of the drives 22 and 36 relative to the upperhousing 16A. With conventional desk-top computers, all of the drives areplaced flush against the front of the casing and a major portion of thecasing is removed by sliding the portion in a direction parallel withthe length of the drives. The drives are preferably placed as close tothe front of the casing as possible since any gaps detract from theoverall appearance of the computer. With the computer 10, on the otherhand, the upper housing 16A passes by the front edges of the drives 22and 36 as the upper housing 16A is being lowered onto the lower housing16B. To prevent the upper housing 16A from damaging buttons located onthe front of the drives 22 and 36 as the upper housing 16A is beinglowered, the drives 22 and 36 must be retracted slightly from the edgesof the upper unit 12. The placement of the drives 22 and 36 at thisretracted position, however, results in an unacceptable gap between thedrives 22 and 36 and the upper housing 16A.

To overcome this difficulty, the computer 10 has a drive lock cam 64which is used in conjunction with moveable members 73 and 74 to placethe drives 22 and 36 at a retracted position while the upper housing 16Ais mounted to the lower housing 16B and subsequently to reposition thedrives 22 and 36 in close contact with the edges of the upper housing16A. With reference to FIG. 7, the drive lock cam 64 includes campassages 101 and 103 having openings 105 and 107, respectively. The campassages 101 and 103 have spring portions 109 and 111, respectively,followed by locking portions 117 and 119, respectively. The drive lockcam 64 has a center portion 121 formed with a keyed surface. Themoveable drive plate member 74 for the floppy drive 22, as shown indetail in FIGS. 8A and 8B, has raised sides 131 which are affixed to thesides of the floppy drive 22. The drive plate member 74 also has a setof four clasping members 133 and a set of three guide members 135. Thestructure of the drive plate member 73 for the CD ROM drive 36 will beapparent from the description of the drive plate member 74 andaccordingly has been omitted.

The operation of the drive lock cam 64 and drive members 73 and 74 willnow be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C. During the assemblyof the computer 10, the floppy drive 22 is mounted to the drive platemember 73 and the CD ROM drive 36 is mounted to the drive plate member73. Next, the members 73 and 74 are attached to the rear support frame66 by inserting the clasping members 133 into holes 141 within the frame66 and then sliding the members 73 and 74 toward the drive lock cam 64.When the members 73 and 74 are slid toward the cam 64, the claspingmembers 133 deflect downwardly and become positioned beneath the frame66, thereby securing the members 73 and 74 and the drives 22 and 36 tothe frame 66. As shown in FIG. 8B, the plate member 74 has guide members135 depending from a lower surface of the plate member 74. As the platemember 74 is being attached to the rear support frame 66, the leadingguide member 135, which may be considered a cam follower, enters a campassageway 103 through an opening 107. The other guide members 135travel within guide channels 143. Similarly, when the plate member 73with CD ROM drive 36 is attached to the rear frame 66, a leading guidemember on the plate member 73 enters cam passageway 101 through opening105 and the other guide members travel within the guide channels 143. Tomore clearly illustrate the operation of the cam 64 and the drivemembers 73 and 74, the drives 22 and 36 have been omitted from FIGS. 9Ato 9C.

In FIG. 9A, the drive plate member 73 is depicted in its fully retractedposition close to the cam 64 and the drive plate member 74 is depictedcompletely detached from the frame 66. In FIG. 9B, the drive platemember 74 is shown in its fully retracted position close to the cam 64,the leading guide member 135 on plate member 74 is positioned within campassageway 103, and the leading guide member on plate member 73 ispositioned within cam passageway 101. The drive members 73 and 74 remainat the positions shown in FIG. 9B during subsequent assembly steps,including the mounting of the upper housing 16A to the lower housing16B. At these fully retracted positions shown in FIG. 9B, the upperhousing 16A can be lowered and secured to the lower housing 16B withoutcoming in contact with any buttons on the front edges of the drives 22and 36 and can therefore be secured to the lower housing 16B withoutcausing any damage to the drives 22 and 36. Once the upper housing 16Ais secured to the lower housing 16B, however, a gap will exist betweenthe drives 22 and 36.

To close the gap between the drive 22 and housing 16A and the gapbetween drive 36 and housing 16A, a tool having a shape mating with thekeyed surface of the drive lock cam 64 is inserted into the drive lockport 29 to rotate the drive lock cam 64. While the tool may have aunique shape thereby discouraging any tampering by the user, the toolcould simply comprise a conventional screw driver. Upon rotation of thecam 64, the leading guide members 135 of the members 73 and 74 travel inthe cam passageways 101 and 103, respectively, and are biased outwardlyto force the drives 22 and 36 into close contact with the upper housing16A. The leading guide members 135 of the members 73 and 74 pass overspring portions 109 and 111, respectively, and are eventually lockedinto position within detents 113 and 115, respectively. Once the drives22 and 36 are locked into position against the upper housing 16A, thedrive lock port 29 is preferably sealed with a tamper evident tape so asto prevent the drives 22 and 36 from being retracted by the user of thecomputer 10.

With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, the computer 10 may use a cam 64'which has a cantilever arm 152 extending from a side surface of the cam64'. The arm 152 has a raised portion 154 positioned at an end of thearm 152 for releasably locking the cam 64' in position. More precisely,in an initial position, the raised portion 154 of the arm 152 engages alower surface of the rear support frame 66 and, as a result, is forceddownwardly toward the lower housing 16A. When the cam 64' is completelyrotated to force the CD ROM drive 36 and the floppy drive 22 against theupper housing 16A, the raised portion 154 of the cam 64' becomes alignedwith an aperture in the rear support frame 66 and the raised portion 154is free to protrude into this aperture. With the raised portion 154 inthis aperture, further rotation of the cam 64' is resisted by theportion 154, whereby the drives 22 and 36 become locked in positionflush against the upper housing 16A.

The LCD display 15 is preferably mounted flush against the upper housing16A of the computer 10 in order to eliminate any gaps between thedisplay 15 and the housing 16A. The placement of any display against ahousing, however, subjects a front surface of the display to certainpressures. When pressure is applied to the front of an LCD display, theapplied pressure produces brightness and distortion on the LCD display.Further, when the LCD display is vibrated, such as during shipping andhandling, the vibrations can cause the front surface of the LCD displayto become scratched thereby preventing images generated by the displayfrom properly reaching the viewer. The placement of the display againstthe outer housing is also undesirable since a blow to the computer, suchas from a drop of the computer, can transfer a significant force to thedisplay and may cause severe damage to the display. It is thus ratherdifficult to place an LCD display close to an outer housing withoutresulting in some damage to the display or some loss in performance,such as bright spots or scratched surfaces.

The computer 10, on the other hand, mounts the LCD display 15 both closeto the upper housing 16A and in a manner that protects the display 15from being subjected to pressure. With reference to FIG. 11, the LCDdisplay 15 has a mounting tab 165 that is affixed to the front frame 68with a shoulder bolt 162 and a threaded insert 164. A spring member 166,which is preferably a silicon bumper but which may alternativelycomprise a coil spring, leaf spring, or other type of spring, is placedbetween the LCD display 15 and the frame 68 to bias the mounting tab 165of the LCD display 15 against the top of the shoulder bolt 162. At thisupper position, the LCD display 15 is only about 0.020 of an inch from abezel 168 in the upper housing 16A and, consequently, is mountedextremely close to the upper housing 16A with a nominal amount ofspacing between the display 15 and the upper housing 16A. The shoulderbolt 162 prevents the LCD display 15 from contacting the upper housing16A and therefore prevents the generation of scratched surfaces orbright spots on the LCD display 15. By spring mounting the LCD display15 with the spring member 166, the LCD display 15 is advantageously ableto absorb forces without causing damage to the display 15. Thus, thedisplay 15 is mounted close to the upper housing 16A but is notsubjected to any pressures which might cause damage to the display 15.While FIG. 6 only illustrates four spring members 166, it should beunderstood that the computer 10 may have a different number of springmembers 166.

With the computer 10, the vast majority of the electronic componentsforming the computer 10 are disposed in the relatively small volumedefined between the front and rear support frames 66 and 68. With thisconcentration of electronic components in a small volume, heat generatedby the system board 85 and other electronic components must be removedfrom the computer 10. The cooling fan 102 and the microprocessor on thesystem board 85 are therefore preferably mounted in alignment with eachother. With this arrangement, the fan 102 generates air turbulence atthe processor and exchanges air within the computer 10 by generating acurrent of air. This current of air enters the computer 10 fromventilating apertures 32, to apertures 25 near floppy drive 22, and fromapertures 26 near CD ROM drive 36 and exits the computer 10 throughventilating apertures 32. To maximize the cooling effect of this aircurrent, all of the cables interconnecting the various components shouldbe tied down so as to not interfere with the flow of air through thecomputer 10.

The upper unit 12 of the computer 10 has significant differences fromboth the conventional desk-top computer and the conventional lap-topcomputer. For instance, a motherboard in a conventional desk-topcomputer typically has dimensions of about 13 inches by 9 inches andincorporates the input/output connectors on the motherboard. The systemboard 85 according to the invention, in contrast, has dimensions ofabout 13 inches by only 5.4 inches and is thus substantially smallerthan the typical motherboard. Further, the connectors 27 are notattached to the system board 85 but rather are placed on a separateriser board 76. Advantageously, this riser board 76 does not add to theoverall length or width of the upper unit 12 but instead is disposedperpendicularly to the system board 85 and is interconnected to thesystem board 85 through a blind mate defined by connectors 82 and 93.The fabrication of a system board 85 having a modem and sound card andthe fabrication of a riser board 76 is within the capability of one ofordinary skill in the art and accordingly will not be described infurther detail.

Another significant difference with computer 10 is that the upper unit12 is substantially smaller than the CPU casing for a typical desk-topcomputer. The upper unit 12 contains all electronic components of thecomputer 10 yet has dimensions of only slightly more than 13 inches by15 inches by 3.5 inches. This is in contrast to the typically muchlarger dimensions of a conventional desk-top computer CPU casing.Further, while the conventional desk-top computer may consume an area ona desk of, perhaps, 16 inches by 21 inches, the computer 10 according tothe invention has the base unit 14 which consumes a surface area of only9 inches by 6 inches. The computer 10 therefore has a substantiallysmaller footprint and can more easily be located and operated on smallsurfaces.

Moreover, the computer 10 according to the invention is at asignificantly smaller weight than the conventional desk-top computer yethas a cost which is not only less than the lap-top computer but which isless than the conventional desk-top computer. The computer 10, forinstance, may have a weight of about 17 pounds and can therefore beeasily transported from one location to another location. The computer10, in contrast to notebook computers, does not rely upon expensiveminiaturized hard drive, CD ROM drive 36, and other components to reducethe overall weight of the computer 10 but rather employs a novel housing16A and 16B, support frames 66 and 68, and other features generallyshown in FIG. 6 to obtain a reduced weight for the computer 10. Thus,without the more expensive notebook components, the weight can bereduced at a cost less than a comparably equipped notebook computer. Thenovel structure of the computer 10 and novel combination of componentsin the computer 10 further permit the computer 10 to be manufactured ata substantially reduced cost from a conventional desk-top computer. Thecomputer 10 therefore has a smaller weight than the conventionaldesk-top computer and has a lower cost than either a comparably equippednotebook computer or desk-top computer.

The light weight of the computer 10 permits the computer 10 to sharemany of the advantages of the notebook computer. Unlike the desk-topcomputer, the computer 10 does not have any extraneous external cords orcables but instead has a single cord for supplying power to the computer10 and may additionally have a telephone cord running to the modem.Without these extraneous cords and cables and due to its light weight,the computer 10 can therefore be transported fairly easily to differentlocations.

In contrast to the plastic casing of a notebook computer, the computer10 has a metal housing 16A and 16B and is thus rather sturdy. Althoughnot desired, the computer 10 can be accidentally dropped or hit with anobject with minimal or no damage to the housing 16A and 16B. Incontrast, substantial damage to the casing of a notebook computer oftenoccurs if the notebook computer is dropped or if the computer is hitwith an object. The spring-mounted LCD display 15 further insulates theLCD display 15 from becoming damaged upon impact. The housing 16A and16B, in addition to being sturdy and rugged, also performs a beneficialfunction of shielding the computer 10 from external EMI and also forcontaining EMI generated from within the computer 10. The computer 10advantageously obtains this EMI shielding without resort to additionalcostly measures employed by notebook computers.

The computer 10 provides an additional feature of tracking the totalamount of time that the computer 10 has been active. With reference toFIG. 12, a processor 172 on the system board 85 is connected to both atimer 174 and to a counter 176. At periodic intervals, the timer 174interrupts the processor 172 to increment the total count stored incounter 176. Preferably, although not necessarily, the timer 174 is ahardware timer that provides a software interrupt to the processor 172.In order to preserve the total count after the computer 10 is turnedoff, the counter 176 preferably resides in non-volatile memory, such asin CMOS. The counter 176 is a sixteen bit counter with the first fifteenbits tracking the time of the computer up to 32,767 minutes, or 546hours and 7 minutes, and the sixteenth bit being an overflow bit whichis set when the total count exceeds 3FFh. Since the amount of fatigue onthe various computer components during the time that the computer 10 isin a suspend or sleep state should be minimal, the counter 176 isincremented only during full-on time and not during the suspend time.The counter 176, if desired, could alternatively count the total on-timeand could be comprised of a greater or lesser number of bits.

The count stored in counter 176 can also be read to determine the totalamount of time that the computer 10 has been in a full-on state. Thecounter 176 is preferably read through a suitable Basic Input/OutputService (BIOS) call and can also be reset through a suitable BIOS call.Since one of ordinary skill in the art is capable of generating thesuitable BIOS calls for reading and reading the count, the exactcommands will not be described in full detail. Rather than BIOS calls,however, the count stored in counter 176 could instead be read throughdirect memory access. The life-time count may alternatively be realizedin other ways than through the BIOS. For instance, a specialized ASICmay be designed to implement a timer and a counter. Also, a keyboardcontroller can be programmed to provide the timer and counter functions.The keyboard controller, which is typically found on most motherboards,has firmware which already is involved in power management and maytherefore be easily modified to include the processor 172 and to trackthe life-time of the computer. Other ways of realizing the life-timecounter will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

With the computer 10, the exact amount of time that the computer 10 hasbeen in a full-on state can be easily and quickly read. With this totaltime, a consumer can more objectively assess the extent of fatigue onthe various components and make a more educated decision as to whetherthe asking price for the computer is reasonable. The knowledge obtainedby the count would also increase consumer confidence in the computer 10since the consumer would not be taking a risk that the computer 10 hasbeen used more often than that alleged.

The computer 10 also tracks and records actual data on failure rates.With this data, the computer designer need not estimate the failurerates of the various components or elements in the computer 10 butrather can rely upon actual real-life data. With this data, the cost ofthe computer 10 can be reduced by eliminating over-designed aspects.With the data, the computer 10 can also become more reliable since thosecomponents or elements which have a higher than expected failure ratecan be redesigned. The data on actual failure times of the computer 10is therefore quite useful for the computer designer.

The forgoing description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been presented only for the purpose of illustration and descriptionand is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possiblein light of the above teaching.

For example, the performance specifications on the various componentswithin the computer 10 can be modified from that disclosed. Thus, thecomputer 10 is certainly not limited to a 586 microprocessor, an eightspeed CD ROM drive 36, a 1.2 Gigabyte hard drive 87 but may be equippedwith either higher quality or lower quality components, such as a 586200 MHz processor. Also, although the placement of the variouscomponents within the computer 10 could be varied from that shown in thefigures, the drives 22 and 36 are preferably placed near the bottom ofthe upper unit 12 to stabilize the computer 10. The cam assemblycomprising the drive lock cam 64 and the members 73 and 74 may be usedto mount other types of components, such as a photo-reader, flush withan outer surface of a computer housing. Further, the number andplacement of guide members 135 on the members 73 and 74, the number,placement, and design of clasping members 133 on the members 73 and 74,and the number and placement of apertures 141 and 143 in the supportframe 66 can all be varied from that disclosed.

The embodiment was chosen and described in order to explain theprinciples of the invention and their practical application so as toenable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and variousembodiments and with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of theinvention only be limited by the claims appended hereto.

We claim:
 1. A computer assembly comprising;a. an anterior housingmember with an orifice adapted to present a screen display; b. aposterior housing member adapted to mate with the anterior housingmember in order to form the posterior outside surface of said computerassembly; c. at least one frame member adapted to mount computercomponents; d. a first bracket adapted to mount a first computercomponent and to be connected in sliding relationship to said framemember, said first bracket containing a first follower member; e. asecond bracket adapted to mount a second computer component and to beconnected in sliding relationship to said frame member, said secondbracket containing a second follower member; and f. a cam memberrotatably attached to said frame member, at least a portion of said cammember being in registration with an orifice in said posterior housingmember for accessing and positioning said cam member from an exterior ofsaid computer assembly, said cam member containing at least two camsurfaces adapted to receive said first and second follower members onsaid first and second brackets, respectively, the cam member adapted tocause said first and second computer components to move relative to saidframe when said cam member is rotated from the exterior of said computerassembly.
 2. The computer assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidfirst computer component and said second computer component are alignedwith first and second apertures in said posterior or anterior housingmembers, respectively, and said two cam surfaces are for causing saidfirst and second computer components to move toward said first andsecond apertures upon rotation of said cam member.
 3. The computerassembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second camsurfaces comprise first and second locking portions, respectively, saidfirst and second locking portions for releasably locking said first andsecond cam followers upon rotation of said cam member.
 4. The computerassembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cam member comprises alocking member for being releasably locked to said frame member uponrotation of said cam member.